10 Great Zombie Movies With At Least One Survivor

The late, great George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead is universally regarded as the Citizen Kane for the zombie genre, responsible for perpetuating and solidifying the stereotypical image of the undead that has endured within popular culture to this day. Unfortunately, with regard to this list, the undisputed godfather of the cinematic zombie couldn't resist killing off every single major protagonist within the 1968 film's narrative.

However, no zombie list of any sort would be complete without a Romero effort - although fans had to wait a decade to actually get this one! 1978 brought with it what is often regarded as the legendary filmmaker's magnum opus, Dawn of the Dead. Depicting the exploits of four survivors within the confines of a shopping mall amidst the chaotic backdrop of a zombie apocalypse, the movie is frequently acclaimed as one of the greatest horror pictures ever made.

After pondering several different soul-destroying endings for his latest effort, Romero opted for a less devastating approach. The director later revealed that he wanted a more uplifting ending than the desolating endgame of his 1968 effort, meaning that Fran and Peter eventually escape to relative safety aboard a stolen helicopter in the film's thunderous conclusion. Regrettably, the remaining two survivors are not so fortunate, with Roger succumbing to zombie bites and an undead Stephen receiving a bullet to the chops from Peter.